President emphasizes importance of making Indian Ocean a zone of peace

President emphasizes importance of making Indian Ocean a zone of
peace

[September 04 2017]

President Maithripala Sirisena says that the Indian
Ocean Region must be transformed into a maritime zone of peace, to
become a hub, which functions for the advancement of the entire
humankind.

He made these remarks addressing the valedictory
session of the Indian Ocean Conference 2017 held at the Temple Trees,
yesterday (01).

Sri Lanka is vital center to strengthen the trade and
naval activities of the region as well as to prosper the entire
humankind due its strategic location in the Indian Ocean, the President
said that adding Sri Lanka is extending its hands to all the friendly
States to move forward with the new technology while building a better
society for the people.

President Sirisena said that he believed that the
attention of this conference also drawn regarding the using of the ocean
for the purposes of war activities, drug smuggling as well as human
trafficking.

He also said that the each country in the Indian Ocean
region is committed to ensure the international peace, reconciliation
and brotherhood as it values the national reconciliation and peace and
he also recalled how the World's first woman prime minister Madam
Sirimavo Bandaranaike presented a proposal in 1960 at the UN Summit to
turn the Indian Ocean into a zone of peace.

The President also recalled the proposal made by the
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the importance of the Indian
Ocean region and again emphasized the collaboration of all countries on
the security of the Indian Ocean.

The Indian Ocean Conference which discuss about the
peace and security of the Indian Ocean Region, held under the theme of
peace, progress and prosperity.

Representatives from 30 countries including China,
India,U.S.A and Japan participated in this conference.

The National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata
Party Ram Madhav presented a special memento to the President.

The Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Ministers
Nimal Siripala de Silva, Sagala Rathnayake, Tilak Marapana, John
Amaratunga, Deputy Minister Dr. Harsha De Silva, Secretary to the Prime
Minister, Saman Ekanayake, and other officials were among the
participants.